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REPORT

Garnica shocks former champ
SecondsOut.com Sat 26-Aug-2006 15:27 [1]

MANUEL GARNICA W12 CARLOS MAUSSA
Graham Houston; FightWriter Last Updated: August 27, 2006 - 5:49am [2]

Garnica defeats former champion Maussa
Ringside by Randy Hammons; FightNews [3] (OUTDATED LINK)
It's not very often a late substitute comes in and defeats a former world champion. But that’s what Mexico's Manuel Garnica did Friday night. Despite moving backward for most of the fight, Garnica scored with enough counter punches to upend former WBA World Junior Welterweight Champion Carlos Maussa in the main event at the Miccosukee Resort and Hotel in Miami. Garnica won by unanimous decision and captured the WBA FEDECARIBE and WBC Latin titles in the process. The eight-bout card was promoted by Tuto Zabala Jr.'s All-Star Boxing, The New Generation. Maussa, a native of Colombia who is living in Miami, consistently came forward throughout the bout but, for the most part, he looked relaxed, to the point of being bored. He rarely put his punches together, except for in the sixth round when he trapped the shorter Garnica along the ropes and ripped right hooks and combinations to the body and head. But Garnica withstood the assault. Maussa displayed some frustration at trying to catch up to Garnica in the ninth, and, at one point, a put his gloves on his waist inviting Garnica to come forward. Maussa missed with two wild punches and Garnica connected on a left-right combination. When Maussa connected, Garnica returned fire and impressed the judges enough to garner a unanimous decision by scores of 115-113, 116-112, 117-111. Garnica was a late substitute for fellow Mexican, Miguel Angel Torrecillas (16-5-1, 7 KOs), of Juarez, who was hit by a reckless driver in Juarez while riding his bicycle. With the upset win, Garnica improved to 23-5 with 12 KOs. Maussa, who lost to Ricky Hatton in his last outing, fell to 20-4, 18 KOs. Maussa won the WBA championship via a seventh round stoppage of Vivian Harris. "It feels great to have an opportunity at a world championship," Garnica said through an interpreter after the fight. "Yes, (Maussa) was more aggressive, but I felt my punches were a little more aggressive. I was able to overcome his retaliation.” “I thought I won the fight, but I'm not making any excuses,” Maussa told the media. ”The judges scored it like they saw it. "I looked for the right opportunity to catch him, but he moved too much. I didn't get frustrated and I didn't get desperate. I was patient. I was trying to throw the right hand, but he didn't cooperate." The fight card was dedicated to Maussa's trainer Roberto Quesada, who has spent 30 years in the fight game. He was honored before the main event and presented plaques for his long-time involvement in the sport. "The fight was much closer than what the judges had," Quesada said through an interpreter. "It was a sloppy fight for both fighters. Maybe the judges don't like too much defense or body movement.” DE LA ROSA EARNS KO James De La Rosa, younger brother of "Contender" participant Juan, won by third round TKO when he stopped Miami's David Obregon at 2:00 of the round in a six-round welterweight bout. De La Rosa (7-0, 5 KO) knocked out Obregon (12-2, 7 KOs) with a right hook that stiffened Obregon. Referee Jorge Alonso waved the fight off just as Obregon hit the floor. De La Rosa put Obregon down in the second round with another right hand. Obregon had his moments, but they were too few and far between. Obregon got off a stiff right hand earlier in the third round that appeared to buckle De La Rosa's knees. "I wasn't looking for the knockout, but it came," De La Rosa said. "The knockout was a combination because he wasn't following up after his shots. Every punch I threw, I felt strong." BERRIO WINS DECISION Kissimmee resident and Columbia native Jailer "Regueton" Berrio won a somewhat unpopular split decision over six rounds in a junior welterweight bout against Puerto Rico's Jose Badillo. Berrio moved throughout the fight and scored with his jab and an occasional right hand. Both fighters waited for the other to throw first. Badillo did his best work in the final three rounds when he scored with combinations and solid left hands. A straight hand in the fifth seemed to shake up Berrio as he proceeded to hold on until the end of the round. Berrio, now 11-7, 7 KOs, won on two cards 58-56, while Badillo, 23-6, 15 KOs, won 59-56 on the third card. Neither fighter was down in the fight. CRUZ EARNS KO The best fight of the night saw late substitute Henry Cruz win by TKO at 35 seconds of the third round against Miami's Raydell Acosta in a super middleweight scrap scheduled for four. The action was toe-to-toe from the opening bell. Cruz (1-1, 1 KO), from Puerto Rico, forced Alonso to step in and stop it after he caught Acosta (0-1) with a big right hand with Acosta long the ropes. UNDERCARD RESULTS In other four-round bouts, Kissimmee's Crisson Nicolas (1-1) won a majority decision over Tampa's Ricky Thompson (0-3) in a junior lightweight bout. No knockdowns were recorded. Judges Al Wilensky and John Rupert saw Nicolas winning 39-37. Judge Peter Trematerra had it 38-38. Kissimmee's Edgar Reyes won a majority decision over Puerto Rico's Angel Villegas in a junior middleweight fight. Reyes landed consistently with right hands as Villegas consistently went forward throughout the bout. Reyes (10-5, 3 KOs) won 39-37 on Rupert's card and 39-37 on Peter Trematerra's card. There were no knockdowns.
Homestead's Orlando Gonzalez (4-0-1, 1 KO) won a unanimous decision over Kissimmee's Michael
"Bling-Bling" Mendez (3-4-2, 2 KOs) in a junior lightweight bout. Trematerra and Wilensky had
Gonzalez winning 40-36, while judge Michael Pernick had Gonzalez up 39-37.
And Kissimmee's Carlos Claudio (2-0-1) won a unanimous decision over Puerto Rico's Jose Febus
(1-5-1) in a junior lightweight bout. Claudio won 40-35 on all cards.